Changes to our website

Starting Monday, we are switching our website - www.times-herald.com - to what is known as a “metered-paywall.” Following are some questions and answers to what it means to you.

And what in the heck is a “metered-paywall? In a nutshell, visitors to our site will be able to access a limited number of stories before they will be asked to subscribe. We are teaming with Press +, a company that specializes in helping newspapers create subscription-based websites.

Why are you doing this? From a strictly business sense, newspapers sell information. That information comes in two basic categories: advertising and news. When the Internet first started, most newspapers gave away their content for free on their websites. That proved to be a disaster. No company survives giving away its product.

Secondly, in the past we have put some stories behind a paywall and made others free. This was confusing to visitors, who, rightfully, questioned why one story was free and another wasn’t. All stories are now going behind the paywall.

How does it work? The website will continue to look as it does now and you will still be able to read all headlines as in the past. We have developed what is known as a “responsive” website. That means the website adapts to whatever device - smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop - you use and fits to that screen. We are one of the first newspapers in the country to move to this style, which will soon be commonplace.

For this introductory period, you will be able to read 10 stories every 30 days. After that, you will be asked to subscribe. After you have clicked on your third story, a popup box will appear welcoming you to the website and offering you the chance to subscribe. You will get another popup box after your seventh story and then a final popup box on your 10th. Subscribing is painless, simply filling out a short form and paying by credit card.

We will also have a direct link to the subscription page at the top of the website.

What does it cost? During this introductory period, the cost is 0.99 cents for the first month for non-home delivery subscribers. Your subscription will then automatically renew every month for only $6.75. You may cancel at any time.

For those who get the newspaper home delivered, the cost is only $2.50 per month.

For even more savings, consider an annual subscription. The reduced rate is $70 for web-only subscribers and $25 for home delivery subscribers who wish to pay annually.

People’s reading habits have changed with the introduction of the Internet. Some still like to hold a hard copy of the newspaper. Others only want to read the paper on a computer or other handheld device. Our goal is to provide The Newnan Times-Herald to you, our readers, in the form you want.

The website will include many of the stories that appear in the print edition, as well as access to the Associated Press, weather and other features. However, many photos and shorter stories will not be on the website - basically the way it is now.

Also during the month of September, we are offering a home-delivery subscription special for only $99 a year. This includes five-day delivery of the paper, the Coweta Living Magazine, the digital edition and the Newnan-Coweta Magazine.

And finally, this month marks our 148th year of operation and there are stories in today’s edition about our history. We want to take this moment to thank you, our readers and advertisers, for your support over these many, many decades.